Build an electroluminescent glass panel display an Apollo DSKYApplied Science2019-05-16 | How to build a replica DSKY unit using an electroluminescent driver circuit and screen-printed conductive ink.
Favorite copper plating bath recipe: Heat 250ml deionized water to 60*C in a 300ml beaker, stirring at 350 RPM Add 2.5g CuSO4*5H2O, wait until dissolved Add 4.6g EDTA disodium dihydrate, wait until dissolved Add 0.84ml of 1% Triton-X 100 solution in water Dissolve 5.8g NaOH in 30ml DI water, stir until clear, then add to bath Add 4ml Formaldehyde (37% HCHO) Lower stirring to 100 RPM and begin filtration with 0.5 micron syringe filter and peristaltic pump. No intentional oxygenation or bubbling. Filter return is below surface for minimal splashing.
I experimented a little with PEG and 2 2' Bipyridine, but didn't find them impactful enough to discuss in this video.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedSciencePhotosynthesis photography: Making images with living plant leavesApplied Science2023-08-27 | How to make photographs using plant leaves: the technique, examples, f/0.5 camera lens construction, and tips & tricks that I learned along the way.
Methanol toxicity: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol_toxicity https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccc.2012.07.002 Skin absorption in a quantity high enough to be a problem is rare, according to this.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceMeasuring the amount of lead (Pb) consumed when drinking from lead crystal glassware. Is it safe?Applied Science2023-07-06 | I show a "DIY" chemical color-based method to determine the amount of lead in water, and then use the method to measure the amount of lead extracted from various types of lead crystal glassware.
The FDA established a maximum daily intake for Pb called the Interim Reference Level (IRL). The IRL for children and adults is 3 μg/day and 12.5 μg/day, respectively. In 2022, FDA tightened its Interim Reference Levels (IRLs) for lead to 2.2 µg/day for children and 8.8 µg/day for females of childbearing age—a drop of 27% from the original IRLs it established in 2018.
(2011) The estimated average daily dietary exposure of the French population to lead was 18 μg for adults aged 15 years or more https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/3511
Support the production of future videos on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceMulti-layer reactive foil: no fuel, no oxygen, tons of heatApplied Science2023-05-28 | This unusual sheet metal is made of hundreds of nano scale layers of aluminum and nickel. A spark initiates a self-propagating reaction that creates NiAl compound, and lots of heat! This material is used to solder items so fast that the base material doesn't have time to draw heat away from the joint. The technical data sheet indicates that this process is fluxless, and I suspect trying to include flux would cause rapid gas expansion that would blow the solder joint apart. I'm not sure how the solder wets the surface without flux.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceTemperature-sensing RFID tag in magnetic stir barApplied Science2023-04-10 | I describe an old project in which a few friends and I designed an RFID tag that fits into a magnetic stir bar and measures temperature wirelessly. We decided to open-source the project, and you can see the PCB design and tag firmware at the github repo below. I don't think I have the firmware for the base station, unfortunately.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceIdentify chemicals with radio frequencies - Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (MRI without magnets)Applied Science2023-01-23 | How to build and test an NQR spectrometer, which is similar to MRI, but uses no magnets. NQR frequencies are unique among all tested compounds, so detecting a resonance indicates a near certainty that a specific chemical is present.
Q/A Why use vacuum variable capacitors? The parallel LC circuit develops well over 1000 volts during transmit, and they are much easier to finely adjust over a large range.
I've spent quite a few hours making this work since late last year. I failed to detect a signal from urea, which burned dozens of hours. Switching to NaNO2 suddenly produced a huge signal.
Support Applied Science on Patreon patreon.com/AppliedScienceHigh speed X-ray video: jumping beans, wind-up toys and more!Applied Science2022-09-12 | High-speed X-ray video captured with a Dectris photon-counting detector. I show how the process works and how this detector is different than normal camera detectors.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceDrawing on a plasma display with a laser pointerApplied Science2022-05-31 | An orange plasma display will retain an image caused by incident near-UV light. This is an interesting visual combination of photoelectric, hot carrier injection, plasma, and charge trapping effects.
Correction: The orange display is running at 700Hz, 130V in the video. Also, the laser emits no 365nm light. I measured some as low as 380, but the tail isn't as long as I implied! Thanks Matthew King for pointing this out in the comments.
I realize that I may have conflated the issues of one-resistor-per-pixel and the display's ability to maintain an image throughout row scanning. They are separate problems that are both addressed by designing the panel to work on AC. Each pixel can maintain its state (on or off) by being supplied constantly with a lower "sustaining" voltage, and can be set or cleared by giving it a momentary higher or lower amplitude. The sustaining voltage allows the pixel to be emitting light or not, and its state remains because of its own impedance until updated on the next scan. In color plasma displays, separate electrodes are used for sustaining and addressing pixels, and the discharge may be sustained between coplanar electrodes instead of plane-to-plane, as in this display.
It's also a possibility that the dielectric and MgO layer only exists on one electrode (the metal), and the ITO is bare. I don't know.
On this display, if all rows are electrically connected together, and all columns are connected together, and AC is applied to rows and columns, this effect does not work -- no light is emitted at all! At least some of the electrodes (ie every other column) must be left floating to emit any light, and to show this memory effect. So, driving AC plasma panels requires more waveform tricks that I do not fully understand.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceSilver nanoprisms grown into structural colors by high power LEDsApplied Science2022-04-10 | How to chemically synthesize silver nanoparticles, then grow them into triangular nanoprisms with light from a variety of LEDs. Each color LED creates a different size nanoprism, which has its own characteristic color.
20ml glass vials with PTFE lined cap (do not use metal-lined): Environmental Express APC1675P Already gone from Amazon
pH pen (this cost more than I remember, but it works really well, and has lasted many years. Cheaper pH pens are often pretty bad) amazon.com/gp/product/B01ESYG6B0
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceOlestra (zero calorie cooking oil) - chemical synthesis and taste testApplied Science2022-01-10 | I synthesized olestra from biodiesel, sugar, and soap with a sodium metal catalyst. I also describe some of the history of olestra's development.
Studies on gastro distress and calorie compensation: https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-789X.2002.00050.x https://sci-hub.se/10.1006/rtph.1997.1164 https://sci-hub.se/10.1001/jama.279.2.150
Support Applied Science on Patreon:patreon.com/AppliedScienceX-ray timelapse of fluid movement in plants, stop-motion animation, sensor teardown/repairApplied Science2021-11-22 | I repaired a large digital x-ray detector and used it to record timelapse and stop-motion animations of plants, a clock, and a camera lens.
Thank you, Amir, for the X-ray sensor and software!Underwater laser cutting and silver sintering to make ceramic circuit boardsApplied Science2021-09-26 | Thermal stress cracking can be completely avoided by CO2 laser cutting thin alumina sheets underwater. I also show how to formulate and apply silver paste, then sinter in a kiln to produce double-sided ceramic printed circuit boards with conductive vias.
60W CW CO2 laser at 80% power. 10mm/sec. Standard lens focal length (50mm). 2mm water above ceramic. 180 passes to cut through 0.75mm thick alumina.
Silver paste: 97% silver powder, 3% glass powder by mass. Particle size 1 micron or less. Add poly vinyl alcohol mold release until desired consistency reached.
Paste applied with 4 mil thick vinyl stencil. Dried in air 10 minutes, then rapidly brought up to 900*C, held for 10 minutes, then rapidly brought back down to room temperature. Total cycle about 45 minutes.
I measured electrical conductivity of the finished traces from my process with vinyl stencils: 4 milliohms per square at 10 micron final thickness. This is pretty close to the Dupont published spec ( less than 2 milliohm/sq at 16 micron thick)
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceAtomic Layer Deposition of copper - If you like sputtering, youll love this!Applied Science2021-08-01 | An explanation and demo of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of copper metal on glass. Precursors are copper(I) chloride and hydrogen, processed in a hot-wall tube quartz tube furnace.
10 torr operating pressure 500 sccm argon sweep/purge gas constantly flowing 75 sccm CuCl argon pulse gas (17 seconds including flow controller lag) 100 sccm H pulse gas (14 seconds including flow controller lag) 7 second purge time between pulses 100mm quartz tube furnace diameter 415*C deposition temperature 350*C CuCl evaporation temperature Substrates are mostly borosilicate glass cleaned with RCA clean The "good" samples shown in the video are about 750 cycles (about 9 hours
Main ref: https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1002/cvde.19970030107 Also helpful: https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5087759 https://sci-hub.se/10.1149/2.0261501jss https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0248(92)90191-K
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceThe best projects from 10 years of Applied ScienceApplied Science2021-05-08 | It's been a very fun 10 years, and there's more to come! Ask your questions in the comments (as always).
patreon.com/AppliedScienceMeasuring human digestive efficiency vs. a flameApplied Science2021-02-23 | "200 Calories" on a nutrition label doesn't describe the total flammable caloric content. I explore the differences between digestible and flammable calories using a homemade calorimeter with glass windows.
Hmm, I perhaps mis-remembered that 20% stat from Sally Le Page's video: youtube.com/watch?v=92F_yocEchA There may have been another source that indicated the 20% number. This will probably show up in my future video on macronutrients.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedSciencePrototyping with Applied Science: Design and build a bite sensorApplied Science2021-01-18 | Join me in brainstorming and building a bite force sensor that allows paraplegic musicians to smoothly control an expression pedal. This video will include construction tips and tricks, methods, material selection, and a little design philosophy.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceEtching silicon wafers to make colorful Rugate optical filters (porous silicon)Applied Science2020-11-16 | Passing an electrical current through a silicon wafer in a special acid etchant will create a porous layer with a variable index of refraction. I describe how this process works, and how the Fourier transform relates filter design to electrical etch waveform and resulting spectral response.
Notes: 1. The Rugate filters look especially good in polarized light because the reflection from the silicon wafer is reduced, but the reflection from the filter remains strong. I noticed this while holding the wafer in front of my computer monitor. Later, when showing it to friends, the color intensity was poor. Their monitor must have been horizontally polarized, so holding the wafer low, and tilting it upward didn't work! Some monitors are horizontally polarized, and some are vertical.
2. The magnet used to hold down the PTFE cup to the wafer may have a very slight impact on the etch process. The dramatic shift in filter performance at the periphery is due to O-ring restricting the conductive etchant to a sharp edge, creating an electrical field concentration.
p-type wafers on eBay. (You have to hunt around and check the photos for info on the label attached to the box of wafers. Be sure to get wafers less than 0.01 ohm-cm) eg ebay.com/itm/25-silicon-wafer-P-type-150mm-100-sumco/263441166009 n-type wafers are photosensitive during the etch process.
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceShooting an electron beam through airApplied Science2020-09-21 | A special 100nm thick window allows 25 KeV electrons to pass from a vacuum tube to the atmosphere where they hit a fluorescent screen -- a CRT in air!
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceUltrasonic soldering bonds glass, titanium, stainless steel, ceramics, tungsten, nichrome...Applied Science2020-09-09 | Technical details and how to build an ultrasonic soldering iron. This technique can bond difficult-to-solder metals such as titanium as well as glass and ceramics.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceDemo and teardown of an X-ray fluorescence gun (measures chemical composition)Applied Science2020-08-31 | I show how an X-ray fluorescence gun works, do a teardown and failure analysis, and discuss a new kind of XRF tech now "available" on eBay.
The XRF data can be transferred from the gun to a PC, and analyzed with http://pymca.sourceforge.net I did this for several materials, but ran out of time in this video to show the software usage, which is quite involved.
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceGiant glass diffusion pump and cathode ray tube demoApplied Science2020-07-19 | This vacuum diffusion pump is made entirely of glass so we can see how it works. I also show a CRT built from a glass lab flask.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceHolograms on chocolateApplied Science2020-05-25 | DIY process to copy commercial holograms onto chocolate! Completely edible -- no dyes or inks used.
Silver mirror process: https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1080/00202967.1941.11869396 Add a pinch of sodium lauryl sulfate to the stannous chloride primer solution to help the solution get into contact with the plastic surface. youtube.com/watch?v=y-4qqcCxD6g
Countermeasures against hologram copying. Holograms are often used as a security seal, so making copies as shown in the video could be a problem without countermeasures: http://www.nli-ltd.com/publications/countermeasures.php
I was planning to talk more about different types of holograms in technical detail, but I think I will save it for a future, dedicated video on making original holograms.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceHypercentric optics: A camera lens that can see behind objectsApplied Science2020-04-29 | Telecentric and hypercentric optics are very different from our eyes or normal camera lenses. They have "negative" perspective or no perspective, respectively, leading to very unusual images. In this video I show how to use a common fresnel lens in the creation of your own telecentric optical system.
Good practical discussion of telecentric optics: https://www.lockhaven.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/labman3/telecen.htm https://www.mii.cz/art?id=626&lang=409&style=4
Idea to use macro tubes for telecentric conversion of normal lenses came from here: http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Telecentric-Lens.html
Commercial hypercentric and telecentric lens maker: lw4u.com
Paper on making telecentric lenses with fresnel front elements: https://sci-hub.tw/10.1117/12.455256
patreon.com/AppliedScienceAlpha radiation makes sparks, detects smoke, and eliminates static clingApplied Science2020-04-06 | Interesting applications of a strong polonium-210 alpha radiation source. The half life is only 140 days, so the Staticmaster brushes must be replaced every year or so.
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceAntique 4x5 camera creates 20 micron photolithography masks: Super tiny tax formApplied Science2020-03-25 | I use an antique 4x5 view camera to create high resolution photomasks in my home shop.
Support Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceElectron microscope animation: Carbon nanotubes pulled into threadApplied Science2020-02-22 | First-ever animation of carbon nanotubes self-aligning into a thread, captured by an electron microscope (as far as I know).
patreon.com/AppliedScienceDetails in the process of making blacker than vantablack coatings (part 1?)Applied Science2020-01-21 | Recreating MIT's "blacker than vantablack" in a home shop (almost).
MIT press release: http://news.mit.edu/2019/blackest-black-material-cnt-0913 MIT nanotube-on-aluminum paper: https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b08290
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceMake vacuum pre-loaded spherical air bearings without special toolsApplied Science2019-12-23 | A new technique to make graphite air bearings without precision tooling. I show how to make spherical, cylindrical, and flat bearings that are also vacuum pre-loaded, meaning the bearing is captive.
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceDIY mass spectrometer measures potassium in dietary salt substituteApplied Science2019-11-30 | How to build and operate a simple mass spectrometer. Please ask questions in the comments, as always. (I had to re-upload this video to fix the ending --I'm very sorry if your early comments were lost!)
patreon.com/AppliedScienceHow a film camera superimposes the date onto photosApplied Science2019-10-12 | Teardown of a "date back" or "data back" camera and description of how it works: A micro LCD projector with incandescent light bulb!
patreon.com/AppliedScienceCryogenic treatment of drill bits: tested 2X lifetime and microstructure analysisApplied Science2019-09-04 | I bought some HSS stub drills, and treated half of them with liquid nitrogen, which improved their wear resistance dramatically. I also look at the change in microstructure with an electron microscope.
Performance of cryogenically treated M35 HSS drills - http://sci-hub.ru/10.1007/s00170-011-3616-8 Performance of cryogenically treated HSS tools - http://sci-hub.ru/10.1016/j.wear.2006.01.017 Effects of Cryogenic Treatment on the Strength Properties - http://sci-hub.ru/10.1088/1757-899X/229/1/012014
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceUV laser creates disappearing ink in normal printer paperApplied Science2019-08-05 | Ordinary printer paper is darkened by a high power UV laser, and then the affected area disappears in four minutes! This is caused by fluorescent brightening agents that are added to printer paper, which are temporarily overloaded by the intense UV light. It seems that oxygen plays a role in this, as hydrogen peroxide applied to the marks cause them to disappear instantly, and prevent them from being formed again by the laser. Performing the experiment in argon appears to slow the disappearing ink effect.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceBouncy sulfur hexafluoride gas in tennis balls?Applied Science2019-07-04 | Testing myths about gas inside tennis balls. Note: I should have added that all of the gases tested would have the same bounce height in a perfect no-loss system. The reason that SF6 bounces higher is because it heats less during compression, lowering the amount of possible thermal loss. Argon heats more during compression, and can lose more energy because of thermal transfer from the gas into the cylinder walls, where it is not restored upon decompression. Things are more complex in a tennis ball, though: Most of the losses are in the rubber shell, and not in the thermal dissipation of the fill gas. It's hard to estimate, but I'd say that the highest fill pressure, with a high-gamma gas would prove to be the most bouncy since it would cause the rubber shell to deform the least. The amount of compression in a tennis ball is very low, and any effect due to the gamma of the gas will be extremely small. Fill pressure will have a dramatically bigger effect.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceHow corrosion inhibitors protect metal: synthesis in the lab and testingApplied Science2019-06-15 | Laboratory synthesis and systematic testing of a corrosion inhibitor commonly found in engine oils. This inhibitor is the reaction product of 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole and oleic acid.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceDrill through anything (conductive) with Electrical Discharge MachiningApplied Science2019-03-12 | I show how to build an EDM drilling machine, describe how it works, and where to buy parts.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceElectro-osmosis: pumping water with electricity and no magnetsApplied Science2019-02-20 | An electro-osmotic pump is an unusual and interesting way to pump fluids and also measure their flow rate with only an electric field (no magnets).
Refs (in order of relevance) https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/S0039-9140(99)00320-3 http://micromachine.stanford.edu/~dlaser/research_pages/electrokinetics_and_eof.html https://www3.nd.edu/~changlab/documents/Youcef.pdf ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2756694 https://psec.uchicago.edu/library/photocathodes/SiO2_OH_model.pdf
patreon.com/AppliedScienceTesting UV absorption eyewear and sunscreen with a deuterium light sourceApplied Science2019-02-10 | I use a deuterium light source to determine the absorption effectiveness of UV safety glasses and sunscreen, as well as common transparent materials.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceHigh-resolution screen printing demystifiedApplied Science2019-01-22 | A complete guide to making high-resolution screen prints with minimal tools.
Notes: When applying film emulsion to the screen, the matte surface should face the screen. The glossy surface is the plastic backing, which is removed later, just before exposure.
The resolution test shown in the video actually indicates line width, not pitch. So, the 1mm sample has 1mm lines and 1mm spaces. Thus, the pitch is actually 2mm.
The Nazdar paint instructions say there is a 30 minute "induction" period that is needed for the catalyst to start working. Nope. Just weigh out the paint and catalyst, mix, and immediately apply to the screen. Print the needed items quickly, and clean it off the screen as soon as possible. Use disposable mixing cups / tools. It is *messy*!
If your emulsion is not sticking to the screen, even with very long exposure times, it probably isn't dry. The green film may seem fairly dry after a few hours, but adhesion during the wash out process will be poor until it is really completely dry, then exposed.
Consider using 365nm LEDs instead of fluorescent tubes for exposure.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceBehind the scenes at Applied Science: Why video? Camera gear. Shop tour.Applied Science2019-01-01 | Ask questions in the comments, and I'll answer as many as I can.
I show my video production process, answer questions about why I make videos, discuss camera gear, and do a quick shop tour.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceLaser diode self-mixing: Range-finding and sub-micron vibration measurementApplied Science2018-12-10 | A plain laser diode can easily measure sub-micron vibrations from centimeters away by self-mixing interferometry! I also show how this technique can be used for range-finding.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceElectroluminescent paint and multi-channel control circuitApplied Science2018-11-21 | This electroluminescent paint can make almost any smooth surface glow, even flexible objects. I show how to use it, and demo a custom multi-channel driver circuit that I designed.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceMEMs oscillator sensitivity to helium (helium kills iPhones)Applied Science2018-11-19 | I tested the 32KHz MEMs oscillator used in some phones, and discovered that just a 2% helium environment will cause the oscillator to fail. I also do a teardown of the MEMs device, and inspect it under the electron microscope.
Applied Science on Patreon: patreon.com/AppliedScienceDry water and Burning ice: all about gas hydratesApplied Science2018-10-09 | Two unusual materials with unusual names. I show how to make "dry" water and propane gas hydrate, which looks like ice and is flammable.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceMake plastic printed circuits with a standard laser cutterApplied Science2018-09-03 | I developed a new chemical process to make double-sided PCBs with a laser cutter, and some common chemicals. This is intended to be used on SLA 3D-printed parts, but may work on many materials.
Support Applied Science: patreon.com/AppliedScienceVintage electrical tech - Weston Sensitrol RelayApplied Science2018-08-19 | This vintage electrical meter is incredibly sensitive, and latches relay contacts with just 18 nanowatts!
patreon.com/AppliedScienceEngineering magnetics practical introduction to BH curveApplied Science2018-08-13 | A practical introduction to understanding magnetic devices such as transformers and motors. This video covers BH curves, reluctance, permeability, DC and AC magnetic circuits, and some applications.
CORRECTION: at 13:48, I say that permeability can be negative. This is not true. All permeabilities are positive. Diamagnetic materials have permeabilities that are lower than empty space (eg .95 relative permeability). There is another quantity which is called susceptibility, which describes the ratio between flux carried by a material, and the flux carried by the space which the material occupies. This quantity can be negative.
Please put questions in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer them!
I apologize that I didn't mention inductance. This video focuses only on the magnetic side of things. Inductance is how the electrical circuit interacts with the magnetics.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceCandle flame is repelled by magnets (and Zeeman follow-up)Applied Science2018-07-16 | Why is a candle flame repelled by magnets? It turns out to be a combination of diamagnetic soot particles and hot gas.
I should have mentioned in the video that the exhaust from a flame will be oxygen-poor, thus also making it more diamagnetic than normal air. Air is a mixture of nitrogen (diamagnetic) and oxygen (paramagnetic). Removing the oxygen will make the resulting gas more diamagnetic.
patreon.com/AppliedScienceZeeman Effect - Control light with magnetic fieldsApplied Science2018-06-25 | I demo the Zeeman effect with a sodium flame and 1 tesla electromagnet!